What
to Do When Your Drama Team
Doesn't Care Anymore!
Article Listing:
How to Take it From the Page to the Stage
What to do When the Unexpected Happens on Stage
Do You Know Where You're Coming From?
What Your Kids Get From Drama Ministry
What to do When Your Drama Team Doesn't Care Anymore!10 Things to do Before Your Performance
Extraordinary Lessons from Peculiar People
Tech Talk: Costumes
Jeni Fabian's costume book recommendations
Rehearsals, performances,
retreats, tours, talent showcases. All aspects of a flourishing drama
ministry, right? You'd like to think that your drama team still got excited
to perform, but maybe you've started to see that passion die within some
of your members. Interest is waning and you're at a loss of what to do.
So what do you do when your drama team just doesn't care anymore?
1. Consider stretching them.
Take them to a new level of drama they have never experienced before.
In this day, surroundings and entertainment for youth and aged alike are
constantly changing. If your actors know that every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
they will be doing the same routine at drama practice, they're bound to
get bored. Don't just change it around a bit, change it around A LOT!
You, as director, should know their weaknesses and strengths; take them
to the heights of those strengths and then push them to go a bit little
farther.
2. Take them on a retreat.
Do something out of the norm. Take them to a new place and have extensive
drama games and exercises prepared. Introduce new technical and improvisational
games that will help them become more confident with their ability to
act. New games are sure to be new to everyone on the team, which evens
out the level of difficulty for just about everyone. There will be some
that catch on a little faster than others, which is okay. Be sure not
to linger in one spot too long in case that causes others to feel less
adequate.
Our team goes on a drama retreat every February.
Our program is such that our drama year runs from September to August
and we hold auditions in September for new team members. Scheduling the
retreat in February has allowed the team to become comfortable enough
with each other that most of their inhibitions have dissipated by then,
which allows the training exercises and introduction of new techniques
and theatrical games to become clear and aid in the progression much more
quickly. In other words, they're not doing the "same ole thing."
3. If all else fails, shut down completely
and start over.
No team is ever good enough that "when they just don't care anymore"
you keep it going. "Don't try to keep a dead horse alive." Sometimes
it is better to bury it and buy a new one. Re-audition. Even make the
"old" team members repeat the audition process. Let them know
that you would rather have four people on the team who care to do their
best than twenty-six who don't care at all.
I recently did this with my team. They were to perform a MAJOR production
at our summer youth camp, and for some reason they felt they didn't need
to learn the script that was given to them. They were having a difficult
time remembering that they needed to show up at rehearsals, and when they
did, what time they actually began. One week before the performance, actors
were still missing cues and entrances, and walking around with scripts
in hand. At that moment, I shut the entire thing down! They not only disappointed
me, but their parents (for which some were dealt with quite severely),
their youth pastor and their friends. As a result, they were not permitted
to participate in the grand opening of our recently renovated theatre,
they had to re-audition for the team the following year. They knew I was
serious when I said, "I would rather have four people on the team
who care to do their best than twenty-six who don't care at all."
Simply stated, shut down and revamp.
Somewhere in the midst of your surroundings is a team that cares to do
its very best for the God who has gifted its members with the talent of
acting. Find them; push them to their limits and beyond. Above all, help
them achieve the highest calling of Jesus Christ, which is living for
him and ACCEPTING that highest call.
|
|
